Xilinx opens research centre in Dublin

DUBLIN, Ireland — Xilinx has opened its first basic research facility outside of the U.S. at its European headquarters here.

The company invested $9.2 million in what will be known as Xilinx Research Labs Ireland, which, Wim Roelandts, chairman and CEO of Xilinx told EE Times will initially focus on the use of programmable logic in networking devices, specifically reconfigurable architecturess, and on advances in software compilers.

"Initially, we will have ten people here, but that will grow over time. But we have no specific target and much will depend on the kind of partnerships we forge with universities such as Imperial College and Queens University, Belfast, as well as local research facilities such as Bell Labs Ireland".

Links have also already been forged with the Centre for Telecommunications Value-Chain-Driven Research unit that operates within Trinity College Dublin.

The Xilinx facility was established with the help of the Irish Development Agency, but Roelandts would not say how much came from the investment agency.

"We are one of the few companies that still does and places significant value on basic research in the electronics sector. It's hugely important even though the returns are much longer than product development," Roelandts said in an interview following the official opening of XRL Ireland.

He stressed innovation is the only long term competitive advantage companies such as Xilinx have. "It is imperative we continue to invest in innovation to be able to compete against low labor cost manufacturing countries."